Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has unveiled alarming developments regarding the spread of ISIS in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar district. A recent raid by the NIA in the Harsul area on February 15 led to the arrest of Mohammad Zoeb Khan, a pivotal figure in the ISIS network.
The NIA’s chargesheet reveals Khan’s connections with Shoeb, an ISIS operative in Libya. Shoeb reportedly received substantial funds from abroad to recruit local youth into ISIS. Khan allegedly used these funds to radicalize and recruit young residents of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar, with plans to execute major terrorist attacks across India before fleeing to Afghanistan or Turkey.
The investigation, sparked by extensive questioning of Shoeb, has exposed a broad conspiracy, heightening concerns about the rising terrorism threat in Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and surrounding areas. Authorities are intensifying efforts to dismantle the ISIS network in the region.
In February, security agencies conducted raids across nine locations in Maharashtra, resulting in the arrest of Zoheb and the seizure of electronic devices and documents critical to the investigation. Zoheb and another unnamed individual face charges under the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The plot they were involved in included recruiting vulnerable youths for terror attacks across India.
The NIA’s findings also indicate international ties, with foreign ISIS agents linked to the conspiracy. Both accused had pledged allegiance to the ISIS leader and planned to escape to Afghanistan or Turkey after executing terror attacks in India. The investigation revealed that they were developing a website to promote ISIS’s extremist ideology and recruit globally.
Mohammed Zoheb Khan had created a WhatsApp group with over 50 young individuals from the Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj (Aurangabad) area to radicalize and recruit them for ISIS. The group shared videos on explosives and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and planned terror attacks across India, outlining steps for preparation, execution, and post-attack actions.
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